1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to inhalation devices, and more specifically, to devices for extracting ingredients from a natural substance through vaporization.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The extraction of natural ingredients from naturally occurring substances such as botanicals has been found to have significant benefits both inside and outside the medical community. While the primary extraction method involves placing the product in a convenient form such as a pill to control the release rate and amount of the ingredients after ingestion, the benefits of directly inhaling the active ingredients into the circulatory system have desirable effects as well. Such inhalation methods circumvent the drawbacks associated with first digesting the product to process it into the bloodstream.
For this and other reasons, one common way of extracting the ingredients from a natural substance through inhalation is simply obtained from smoking the product by applying fire directly to the product, commonly contained in a paper wrapping of some sort, to burn the substance and inhale the desired ingredients as they are released. However, several disadvantages arise in light of inhaling undesirable particulate along with the desired ingredients. More specifically, smoke particles enter the user""s throat and lungs, create an unpleasant burning smell, and introduce additional hazards into the user""s body. Prolonged smoking introduces significant health risks in the mouth, throat, lungs and heart of the user. In addition, applying fire directly to the herbal product burns up a significant amount of the quantity resulting in using more than necessary to acquire the desired dosage and or effect.
Several devices which have reached the commercial marketplace seek to avoid the concerns caused by smoking the product. These devices seek to overcome the drawbacks of smoking by removing the smoke and carcinogens from the inhalation process as well as the odor caused by the smoke by vaporizing the product instead of burning it with flame applied directly to the herb. Some of these commercially available devices include a vapor collecting globe surrounding a platform upon which the desired quantity of an herb is placed. The plate is heated to vaporize the herbs until the globe is filled with a desired quantity of vapor. The vapors collected in the globe may be withdrawn by inhaling from a tube connected to a passage leading to the interior of the globe. However, as such devices require the user to place the herb directly on the heating plate, such construction introduces the potential burning disadvantages discussed above thereby introducing unwanted large particulate into the globe. The use of hot plate configuration also takes several minutes before the vapor is satisfactory. If the alternative method is used and the herb is packed directly into the heating element shaft, the vaporization process time is increased but so are the chances of burning the product. Thus, these devices must be monitored to ensure the herbal product is not burned. In addition, the vapors are first collected in the globe and then inhaled resulting in a stale inhalation in contrast to a fresh inhalation derived from inhaling air directly through the product as it is instantly vaporized from the vapor containing chamber. Such devices have proven largely unsatisfactory in the marketplace.
A variation over the globe-type vaporizer incorporates a wooden box surrounding a heating element which projects vertically or at an upwardly projecting angle. Such device typically incorporates additional unnecessary electrical circuitry on the same circuit as the heating element and presents several drawbacks. First, the wooden housing is susceptible to burning. The selection of wood also requires that the heating element is exposed and placed relatively far from the side walls of the unit creating an unnecessarily large and indiscreet unit. In other words, concealment of the heating element is not facilitated. The relatively high electrical power requirements of the other electrical components such as a variable power control switch introduces additional more complicated circuitry and also draws power from the heating element which could otherwise be used to heat the heating element thereby increasing the overall heating time.
Furthermore, such device incorporates a heating element projecting vertically from the base of the unit or at an upwardly angled orientation. Thus, during use of the vaporizing unit, the user must tilt the opening of a handpiece packed with the desired herb downwardly to engage the heating element. In this orientation, some of the loosely packed herb falls into the heating element creating smoke and losing some of the herbal product as well. Often the herb is wetted in an attempt to prevent the herb from falling out although this is not always desirable.
What is needed and heretofore unavailable is an apparatus that overcomes these and other drawbacks by providing an economical device enabling the user to avoid burning and or losing undesirable amounts of the ingredient, to improve heating time, and to allow for a closely configured compartment within which the heating element may be housed.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for vaporizing an herbal sample is provided in the form of a housing forming a heat generating compartment with an access opening. Such housing is constructed with a bottom support structure for positioning the housing on a substantially planar support surface. Within the compartment a support element is coupled to the first end of at least one heating element such that the second end of the heating element is proximate the access opening and further positioned at a height equal to or less than the height between the first end and the planar support surface. To energize the heating element a connector is provided to place the heating element in electrical communication with a power source whereby the herbal sample may be placed in close proximity with the second end of said heating element to vaporize said herbal sample after power is supplied to the heating element.
Yet another feature of the present invention is the inclusion of a heat exchanging handpiece with a heat transfer chamber having an open end for placing near the second end of the heating element and a vapor collection chamber with an end region defining an aperture wherein a user may inhale therethrough.
In one embodiment, such handpiece may further include an extension for telescopical receipt over the heating element or an insulator encircling the heating element.
Another feature of the present invention is the inclusion of an aromatic oil receiver for receiving oils that may be vaporized directly off the housing when the heating element is supplied with power.
A method of using such housing and handpiece to prevent the undesirable spillage of the herbal samples is also described herein.